The critical Role of CO2 on Respiratory Control, PeriodicBreathing and Apnea in Neonates

Background- CO2 is a gas present in the atmosphere. Its linear shaped molecule contains two double bonds linking carbon and oxygen. It was discovered in 1630 by Jan Van Helmont who obtained the CO2 by fermenting grape and burning coal. From the beginning it was clear that CO2 is essential to life due to its warming effect on the planet and its role in photosynthesis. In the beginning of the 20th century Haldane (1905) first suggested that breathing is controlled by a negative feedback system in which CO2 is both the controlled and the controller variable. Phillipson and others have shown that without CO2 breathi…